


A Servant's Tale

by Hekate1308



Series: Purple Ties [8]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regency, Gen, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 17:12:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9247454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: By all logic, Dean should be an alpha. And yet he woke up in heat today.Ellen knows what this means, of course.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just wanted something short and sweet. Enjoy!

“Dean! Dean!”

Ellen smiles in the kitchen as the sound of Sam calling out to his brother drifts in through the window. Inseparable, these two are.

“Are we gonna look at the horses?”

“Of course, Sammy. But remember, we have lunch afterwards, so you must clean your hands very carefully, promise?”

“I promise!”

The smile leaves her face. Dean has been raising his little brother since their mother died. Everyone in the town knows, and the way her employer still grieves his wife – by often taking refuge in a bottle – is no secret either.

Sometimes, his language could be called abusive. She never does it, of course. She won’t bring the boys more pain.

Her daughter keeps asking in her letters why she and Bobby are still there. The answer is easy.

She could never leave Sam and Dean alone with their drunken father.

At least they’re at the stables, now.

Her husband will take good care of them for the next hour.

* * *

“We cannot have any pity for those who refuse to work for their money”.

“His children were ill. He had no other choice but to send for the doctor” Dean tells his father firmly. At sixteen, he’s already taller than Mr. Winchester.

He’ll do well with the property, Ellen is sure.

She’s very proud of how the boy has turned out, not that she can tell him, of course. She’s still only the cook.

But still she is sure to spread the word around after it surfaces that Dean saved that farmer’s livelihood.

* * *

It’s quiet today. All the servants slink around, try not to make a sound. Not even Ruby has dared to wag her tongue about this… development.

Mr. Winchester has been drinking since the moment he was informed of what’s going on. Sam – Sam is confused and worried, and he has every right to be. He’s only twelve, and his father locked himself in his room and told him he’s responsible for everything.

Ellen took one look at him, then invited him into the kitchen. He looks better after the cup of tea she made him.

“I don’t understand” he tells her eventually.

No one does. No one will. True, it’s never certain how children will present, but as a rule, alphas are bigger and have stronger muscles than omegas.

By all logic, Dean should be an alpha.

And yet he woke up in heat today.

Ellen knows what this means, of course.

But she doesn’t want to believe it.

Sam will do well as the heir of the Winchester estates, she knows. But Dean, Dean who was raised to manage the lands, and who’s now nothing but a possible match to be bargained away...

And she knows Mr. Winchester. He’ll throw Dean away like nothing since he’s not the alpha son anymore.

Thank God Sam is there to stop it.

Unless Sam presents as an omega too, but she doesn’t stop to contemplate the possibility for long.

“He’ll be alright” she says gently. “We all love Dean. We won’t treat him any differently.”

“But Dad will. And all the others...”

For a moment, she wishes Sam were still too young to comprehend. She could lie then, to this motherless boy she loves as much as her own daughter, who is thankfully grown and making a life of her own back in London.

“Yes, they will. But we’ll still be there.”

* * *

If this hurts her and Bobby, she can only imagine what Dean must feel. Being paraded on a ball for the first time since his presentation, his father pushing him into any wealthy alpha’s path, everyone greeting him as “Mr. Dean” to ensure it is reaffirmed again and again that he is no longer the Winchester heir but an object to be won.

They are not invited, of course, but have been standing outside in the shadows, watching through the windows for a while now, ever since one of the waiters came into the kitchen with a frown on his face and declared he’d never seen anything like it.

She hasn’t either.

Thank God for Sam, who stays at his brother’s side throughout the whole ordeal; and of course for the few neighbours, who, even audibly for them, call out “Mr. Winchester!” the moment they see Dean.

At least he smiles at that.

* * *

Sam and Miss Jessica Moore are a good match. The whole county agrees on that.

John Winchester, alas, does not.

Why? No one is quite sure. Apparently for the first time in over twenty years, he’s decided to question a decision one of his children made.

Thankfully Sam is of age. He can mate whoever and whenever he wants.

That’s not the problem.

The problem is that Mr. Winchester has made it clear that he has to leave his house if he mates with her.

And that means leaving Dean behind. Single omegas are not supposed to live where they want; and Mr. Winchester would never allow him to live with his renegade son.  

Mating means leaving Dean behind. Sam struggles with the problem for weeks before Sam takes him out on a long ride.

The mating date is fixed the next day.

At least both her and Bobby get invited and are given the day off, and Dean can attend the ceremony.

Ellen would be happier for her younger boy if she couldn’t see the longing in Dean’s eyes.

Of course he wants to have a family too. He’s always wanted children, since he was a child himself.

But no alpha ever really bothered to look at him as desirable.

She knows it bothers him, just like Sam does. But he never complains. He acts like he’s supposed to, nothing like the boy she knew, and it’s breaking her heart every time he politely bows to another potential match.

The next few years are... difficult. Dean isolates himself more and more; he barely visits the kitchen, and she only hears from Bobby that he’s riding out a lot. She cannot blame him. She’d rather not spend time with John Winchester either.

They watch as he slowly ages, his chances of finding a mate dwindling. There’s pain in his eyes when he jokes about Sam and Jess “having eloped”, when he reads their letters. He’s lonely and hurting with the pain of being looked at as a freak of nature.

It should come as a relief when he’s finally allowed to move in with Sam and Jess, even though they’ll both miss him terribly.

But when Dean comes to tell her the news, she turns around and sees why Mr. Winchester finally gave in.

Dean is wearing a purple tie. He’s given up. He won’t try to find a mate anymore.

The mixture of relief and repressed sorrow on his face is almost too much to bear.

She hugs him and prays all will end well.

* * *

 

Dean’s letters are usually enthusiastic, and always an occasion for celebration in the kitchen. They didn’t expect to hear from him at all, since it is rather unusual to communicate with (former) servants, but they really shouldn’t be surprised. This is Dean they are speaking of.

Still, when he talks about the future, he talks about Sam and Jess and the children they’re going to have. He sees his place firmly as that of a spinster uncle when he deserves so much more.

Therefore, it comes as a complete surprise when one of his letters begins with “You are in for a surprise. Someone took pity on me; I’m engaged to be mated.”

Another letter reaches Mr. Winchester on the same day, but ever since Dean left, he’s withdrawn even more into his bottles, and barely pays any attention.

The servants dutifully tell the whole county, and there’s not one soul who doesn’t wish him happy with all their hearts.

If they get lucky, they might be allowed to visit this ceremony too, although she doubts it.

And then it is her husband who receives a letter.

_Dear Mr. Singer,_

_I hope you will forgive me for writing to you and your good wife without being able to claim a previous acquaintance. I am, however, betrothed to Dean Winchester, and it is with his happiness in mind that I communicate with you._

_I recently acquired the estate next to Sam’ and Jess Winchester’s, where we are planning on living. We are in need of trustworthy servants..._

They get as far as that before they make their decision.

Three months later, Dean is on his honeymoon and they acquaint themselves with the house. It is a beautiful piece of land, definitely, and Bobby soon discovers that Castiel Novak has filled the stables with a few gorgeous horses.

“He must be besotted” he tells her.

“Not that I don’t say Dean deserves it” he adds when she glares at him.

They are sitting in the kitchen when Dean and his mate return. Captain Novak asked them to in another letter.

They hear them approach the door.

“Cas, it’s beautiful, you didn’t have to – “

“Would you like to meet our new servants?”

They look at each other and smile.

 

 


End file.
